Molly Scott Cato: Trump is waging war on the environment

Responding to Trump’s decision to yank America out of the Paris Agreement, Molly said:

“Trump has just confirmed his intention to wage war on the environment. Ejecting the US from the Paris Agreement is an assault on scientific evidence and a confrontation with businesses and the US and global economy; one that is marching rapidly towards decarbonisation. This decision attempts to take the US back to a by-gone era where fossil fuels ruled, just at a time when we are at the dawn of a green energy revolution.

“Clean energy jobs outnumber fossil fuel jobs by more than 2.5 to 1 in the US. They overwhelm dirty fuels jobs in nearly every state across America, and this growth will only continue as renewable energy technologies become ever cheaper. Solar and wind jobs are now growing at a rate 12 times faster than the rest of the US economy.

“As for the UK, Brexit poses a serious threat to the way in which we respond to Trump over climate change. Our voice will be diminished on the global stage after we leave the EU, and, despite Theresa May’s stated commitment to the Paris Agreement, may be deliberately silenced altogether as the UK attempts to forge a new trade agreement with the US. If she remains prime minister, we could end up walking hand in hand with the world’s greatest environmental polluter and sacrificing the climate at the altar of a dodgy trade deal.

“But Trump has at least achieved one thing. The outrage over his decision to turn his back on one of the globe’s most important treaties has raised climate change up the political agenda just in time for this week’s general election. With that in mind, it is clear that more Green MPs demanding stronger action on climate change are needed now more than ever.”